NEW YORK – A former New York real estate finance executive pleaded guilty Tuesday to drugging and raping a teenage girl for months.
In response to questions from a judge, 56-year-old Michael Olson admitted that he had, among other things, given cocaine to a minor, raped her and filmed her.
Olson also admitted to soliciting other children.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said Olson targeted teenage girls by offering them money and gifts on social media.
“He accepted the plea because he was guilty, just like anyone else who pleads guilty,” said defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman. ‘He feels bad about what happened. He feels bad about what he did, and he understands it’s wrong.”
Olson arrested after teen girl overdosed in New York hotel room
According to the district attorney’s office, Olson responded to a 14-year-old girl’s Instagram post in 2022 that clothes were too expensive. Investigators say he sent her a gift card, started paying her to spend time with him, and then, over the course of six months, took her to hotel rooms in Queens and Manhattan and raped her repeatedly.
Investigators say Olson also took the teen on trips to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami, pretending she was his daughter when he bought plane tickets.
In May 2023, the teenage girl began overdosing while in a Manhattan hotel room with Olson, the district attorney’s office says. EMTs arrived on the scene and took the girl to a local hospital, where she recovered, investigators say. Olson was arrested.
During their investigation, authorities found four more victims, all of whom were 15 years old or younger. Investigators say Olson created 18 pieces of child sexual abuse material from the victims.
Investigators say Olson continued “courses of conduct” against some victims even after he was charged and placed under electronic monitoring.
As part of his plea, Olson will be sentenced to 16 years behind bars. His next court hearing is in February.
Katie Houlis contributed to this report.
Alice Gainer
